4 Basin Simplot stores receive safety certification

MOSES LAKE — Compliance with environmental, health, and safety standards is as much a part of Simplot Grower Solutions as providing a quality product to America’s farmers and four Columbia Basin stores received certification for their efforts.

ResponsibleAg certified Simplot’s central Washington locations for safety compliance with all federal environmental, health, safety and security rules regarding safe handling and storage of fertilizer products.

The stores in Quincy, Royal City, Warden and Moses Lake passed the rigorous auditing process.

“We are pleased to join other Simplot Growers Solutions outlets in achieving certification,” said Greg Olson, Simplot Grower Solutions area manager for Washington. “Assuring that our operations meet or exceed the highest requirements for safety and security is something we take very seriously in our partnership with the farmers and communities we serve.”

ResponsibleAg is an industry-led, non-profit organization founded in the U.S. in 2014 to promote the safe storage and handling of fertilizers. Through on-site assessments, ResponsibleAg educates staff and leadership at fertilizer storage and handling facilities to achieve and maintain compliance with federal environmental, health, safety and security laws and regulations.

“Achieving certification is a significant accomplishment,” said Dave Dufault, J. R. Simplot vice president and general manager for retail agribusiness. “I am incredibly proud of the teams at these Washington locations for gaining this recognition on a job well done.”

With the addition of the Columbia Basin certified stores, Simplot Grower Solutions now has 18 of its 90 locations having met the standard.

“The fertilizer and agricultural industry is, and always has been, dedicated to operating safely within our communities,” said Bill Qualls, executive director of ResponsibleAg. “This certification is a tough and rigorous audit that assures each community just how committed we are to their safety and security.”

The J.R. Simplot Company is a privately-held agribusiness firm headquartered in Boise, Idaho, that has an integrated portfolio that includes phosphate mining, fertilizer manufacturing, farming, ranching and cattle production, food processing, food brands, and other enterprises related to agriculture. Simplot’s major operations are located in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, and China, with products marketed in more than 40 countries.

For more information about ResponsibleAg, go to www.ResponsibleAg.org.